What we do

Cadena International Development Projects was established in 2008 in response to the increasing demand of international communities, governments, financing agencies and companies to find sustainable solutions for challenges faced within international development projects. Cadena, meaning “network”, has the purpose to assist public and private sector stakeholders in project development and project implementation in cooperation with a variety of international companies, by providing technical assistance as well as (teacher and staff) training programmes for secondary education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) projects, related to “education reforms aiming at bridging the skills gap”.

During projects, Cadena contributes during project implementation and hand-over phases by guiding projects, monitoring on-going activities during the projects, solving problems that might occur and adjust activities to stay in line with the final project objectives, goals, needs and requests of our clients, backstopping and coordinating preparations for field missions and providing human resource management, training of project personnel, financial management and logistic support. Our services can be provided for projects financed by amongst others local governments, the African and Asian Development Bank, the World bank, Specialized UN organizations, non-governmental organizations and private companies.

Through the implementation of long-term education and training reform projects in various African countries, such as Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe we have built up a large network of partners and experts that support our activities. Cadena’s activities focus mainly on TVET reform and improvement to bridge the skills gap, through the adjustment of training programmes to labour market needs, support to teachers and school managers to improve quality and relevance of training and support national governments to set-up the necessary structures and mechanisms to coordinate and monitor the TVET sector.

Within our network, we work closely with Centres of Excellence, Technical Training Institutes, Knowledge Centres, consultancy firms, as well as education equipment manufacturers and suppliers. Through our unique partnerships, extensive knowledge, expertise, network and track-record related to the improvement of educational systems, we can ensure that our projects are built on sustainable solutions for education and training improvement. Our projects are based on the needs of government, TVET institute management, its students and most important the needs of the local labour market ensuring that skills “supply” and “demand” are harmonised. By taking into all different perspectives and requirements, we ensure that we offer both relevant as well as sustainable solutions for quality education and training equal to European standards.

We are continuously in search of new development projects for which we can offer our services. When we see a chance, we bring the brightest minds together to write an ultimate project proposal, in which we either focus on consultancy-, training- and/or project management services or we bring all our strengths together and prepare a turn-key solution in cooperation with our partners!

Consultancy to improve technical secondary education, TVET, and ATVET, including topics such as policy development, strategic plans, human resource development, Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), Quality Assurance, NTVET QF, CBET, curricula, institutional development and capacity building initiatives for line Ministries and other sector stakeholders. Besides, Cadena, on behalf of different public and private entities, has the expertise to develop/ design complex turn-key education projects in which various components such as supply of education and general equipment, renovation of classrooms/ workshops, teacher and staff training programmes and specific technical assistance are integrated.

HISTORY

History

January 29, 2008

Januari 2008

Establishment of Cadena for the development of turn-key projects, mainly in the MENA region. Key activities revolve around the design of technical vocational education and training projects, and the formation of consortia for the implementation phases.

July 1, 2010

June 2010

The successful design of the turn-key TVET project in Kenya results in the implementation of technical assistance and (teacher) training components in East Africa

July 1, 2012

July 2012

Cadena continues to expand its activities in the Southern African region, and Agriculture TVET is added to the company’s portfolio.

March 3, 2013

March 2013

In addition to the turn key project development activities, Cadena’s starts to actively participate in the international tender business. As such, the company expands the TVET consultancy to West-Africa.

August 1, 2013

August 2013

Cadena now has a presence in TVET and ATVET in East -, West -, and Southern Africa in the field of ATVET and TVET. In addition Cadena embarks on the implementation of secondary science education projects, with a focus on supporting biology, chemistry and physics teachers

December 1, 2015

December 2015

Our work in secondary education is further enhanced with consultancy services covering science as well as the improvement of secondary school mathematics education.

December 1, 2016

December 2016

Our area of expertise continues to expand, and Cadena supports the design and implementation of ICT in Education, covering both secondary as well as TVET.

June 1, 2017

June – July 2017

In addition to science, and mathematics also the improvement of secondary school English language is added to our portfolio.

March 1, 2018

March 2018

With all our expertise and knowledge in the TVET and secondary schools education systems, Cadena continues to build on this expertise by providing support in Job-readiness and career guidance services at secondary, TVET and Higher Education levels.

May 1, 2018

May 2018

Cadena start working in the TVET sector related to the upcoming Oil and Gas sectors in the various African countries. Main focus is on the development of local content and introduction of international standards in TVET.

June 1, 2018

2018 and Beyond

The company further expands its presence in the education and training sector world-wide, as a partner of a successful consortium for the implementation of the EU Framework Contract Services for the Implementation of External Aid 2018 for lot 4 Human development: Education, Culture, Health, Vocational education and training, Research & Innovation.

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Mission

Cadena believes that optimizing human capacity and exchanging knowledge is the key principle of successfully completing international development projects, therefore, our people work passionately together to deliver tailored technical assistance and teacher- and staff training programmes, while upholding our core values.

Vision

Our vision is to enlarge our key geographical areas of expertise in which we provide training and consultancy services and be THE company for support and implementation of development projects concerning secondary education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET).

Values

We, at Cadena, are dedicated to accomplish our mission and vision by staying close to our core values.

CLIENTS

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or Banque Africaine de Développement (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution. The AfDB was founded in 1964 and comprises three entities: The African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund. The AfDB’s mission is to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent through promoting the investment of public and private capital in projects and programs that are likely to contribute to the economic and social development of the region.

With 189 member countries, staff from more than 170 countries, and offices in over 130 locations, the World Bank Group is a unique global partnership: five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries.

The Bank works to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through financial and technical support for countries working to reduce poverty and inequality, the Bank helps improving health and education, and advance infrastructure. Its aim is to achieve development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way by providing loans, grants, and technical assistance and conducting extensive research.

UNICEF is a United Nations agency mandated by the General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, help meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Founded in 1946 to provide emergency aid to children in the aftermath of the Second World War, UNICEF became a permanent member of the United Nations

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) is a State Corporation established under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2013 that was Publicized in a Special Issue of the Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 44 (Acts No. 29) on 25th January 2013 and commenced on 24th June 2013. The TVET Authority Board was appointed on 9th May 2014 through a Gazette Notice No.. 3134 and inaugurated on 4th June 2014. The mandate of the Authority is to regulate TVET sector through Licensing, Registration and Accreditation of institutions, programs and trainers.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is responsible for national policies and programmes that help Kenyans access quality and affordable, school education, post-school, higher education and academic research. Its vision is to maintain a globally competitive education, training, research and innovation system for sustainable development. Its mission is to provide, promote and coordinate quality education, training and research; and enhance integration of Science, Technology and Innovation into national production systems for sustainable development.

The Netherlands Initiative for Capacity development in Higher Education (NICHE) is a Netherlands-funded development cooperation programme. The programme is being phased out, so no new projects will be initiated. Current projects will be completed by 2022. NICHE projects contribute to economic development and poverty reduction, by sustainably strengthening higher education and technical and vocation education and training (TVET) capacity in partner countries.

The Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council accredits curriculum developers, assessors, verifiers and assessment centers. The Council is mandated to undertake design and development of competency based curriculum for TVET and coordinates competence assessment through the established assessment process. The qualifications levels are determined by the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQA).

In Zambia Agriculture plays a key role of supporting industries by the production of the required raw materials , producing exportable agricultural goods, generating employment particularly in rural areas, as well as providing food stuffs essential for the sustenance of acceptable nutrition standards and levels. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock aims at being a committed, focused and proactive institution that provides quality agricultural goods and services which assuring food and nutrition security, increased incomes and contributing to poverty reduction.

Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) is a national body set up by an Act of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana to co-ordinate and oversee all aspects of technical and vocational education and training in the country. Our major objective is to formulate policies for skills development across the broad spectrum of pre-tertiary and tertiary education, formal, informal and non-formal sectors.

We are the Ministry that administers the system of primary and secondary school education in Zimbabwe. We formulate and implement policies on education structure, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, and we oversee the management and running of all schools in the country.